Protests turn violent in São Paulo over teenager shot to death by police officer

Criado em 29/10/13 14h33 e atualizado em 29/10/13 14h37
Por Paulo Victor Chagas and Elaine Patricia Cruz Fonte:Agência Brasil

Brasília and São Paulo – The highway connecting the cities of São Paulo and Belo Horizonte was closed both ways on Monday (October 28), due to a demonstration that ended in violence. A bus and at least two trucks were torched.

The demonstration was a protest over the death of a teenager, which happened on Sunday afternoon (October 27), when the police were called to deal with a public nuisance incident in a suburban neighborhood in São Paulo. There was a group of people, most of whom young, partying next to a car playing loud music. According to the Military Police, after the young man was asked to get out of the car to be interrogated, a soldier accidentally pulled the trigger and shot the youth, who was taken to a hospital in Jaçanã. He did not resist the wound and died.

Outraged, residents protested in several places in the neighborhood where the incident took place. Three buses were destroyed, and five cars were burnt; a police car had its glass shattered and two banks were ransacked. The fire from one of the buses reached the electricity grid, cutting off the power supply in the area.

According to the Military Police, 300 people participated in ransacking raids on local businesses. Six people were arrested for further inquiry.

Edited by: Aécio Amado / Olga Bardawil
Translated by: Fabrício Ferreira